Chandigarh: A bank employee allegedly withdrew Rs 6.50 lakh from the “dormant” bank account of three-time Haryana Chief Minister late Bansi Lal and transfered the stolen money into a fake account in the same branch.

Late Haryana CM Chaudhary Bansi Lal passed away at the age of 78 in the year 2006.

Rajesh Sharda, branch manager of State Bank of India (SBI), located at Mini Secretariat here, has lodged a complaint with the Chandigarh police that a cashier in the same branch had allegedly withdrawn Rs 6.50 lakh from Lal’s bank account illegally.

The account of Bansi Lal remained dormant, the complainant said.

“We have received a complaint from Rajesh Sharda, bank manager of SBI that one employee Shambhu Kumar has withdrawn Rs 6.50 lakh from the bank account of late Bansi Lal in fraudulent way,” said Chandigarh police, SHO, Neeraj Sarna said today.

“The employee withdrew money by opening a fake account in the same branch to transfer money,” he said.

When the bank detected the fraud, it suspended the concerned employee as department action, police said.

“The cashier has apologised for his illegal act and returned the money to the bank,” said Sarna.

Police said FIR has still not been registered in this regard as investigation is on.

“We have sought records pertaining to the bank account from the bank. We also want to know how he opened a fake account, who gave the guarantee for the opening of this account and what was the mode of transfer of money,” he said.

The prominent Jat leader late Bansi Lal had remained Chief Minister of Haryana thrice. He was also Defence Minister in late Indira Gandhi government in 1975-1977 and then again Railways minister in late Rajiv Gandhi government in 1984-1986.